Nail guns are pivotal to the construction, renovation and manufacturing industries. Without them, production time would increase significantly - and cost to manufacture would go up, but how did these tools come to exist? And how have they progressed over the last 50+ years? Instead of looking at new tools, this week let's step into the past - and see the nailers (and brands) that paved the way for the pneumatic and cordless tools we have today.

We start in the early 1950's, an era known in the United States for post-war prosperity. Service men were home, and were using technology from the battlefield to improve the quality of everyday life during peacetime. With American suburbs popping up sporadically (and fast), home builders needed something more than the hammer and nail to keep up with demand. Likewise, a group of men discovered that the technology behind their machine guns from WWII could be applied to a pneumatic powered tool, the nail gun. Pneumatic staplers were introduced long before the nailer became popular, although both tools run using similar principals of operation.

Senco Pinner Ad from the 1950's

Brands including Paslode, Bostitch and Senco were quick to adopt the technology - although many credit Paslode with developing and launching the first successful pneumatic nailer in the 1970's, the Charger SK-312. The type of fastener that each nailer ran also progressed over time, as new technology such as paper tape strip nails (and other forms of collated fasteners) became available. As time and technology advanced, we eventually saw the release of cordless nailers - otherwise known as battery or gas powered nail guns.

What's next on the horizon for nail gun technology? How can we improve on the tools and fasteners we use today? These are questions that constantly make their way through the research and development labs at these and other manufacturers. Despite the field of work, everyone has their own preference of nail gun manufacturer. While we don't favor one brand to another, Nail Gun Depot offers the best selection of all major nailer and stapler manufacturers. Whether you are looking at a Paslode, Senco, Bostitch or MAX, we carry the tools you need to get the job done right.